Popular Aussie Exports 10 March 2016 09:45 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareThink of the Australian car industry and the first, second or even third thing that comes to mind probably won’t be about exports. However, both Ford and Holden have a history of successfully exporting their vehicles overseas. The first Australian vehicle export to roll off the ship and onto the docks was to New Zealand in 1954 when Holden started exporting its mighty FJ. By 1956, they were exporting to Borneo, Malaysia and Thailand. By the time 1960 rolled around, they were also producing left hand drive cars, were exporting to almost 30 countries and had sold almost 11,000 units. Exports for the company went from strength to strength. By 1970, Holden’s exports had earned the company a staggering $217 million since that first FJ hit the NZ docks 1954. An interesting part of Holden’s export programme occurred from 1975 to 1977 when they began exporting HJ and HX Premiers, sans engine to Japan. Once there, the boys from Mazda went to work installing a 1.3 litre Wankel rotary engine, the only time GM ever produced a car that ended up with a rotary inside. It was then rebadged as the Mazda Roadpacer AP. Unfortunately, because it was underpowered, thirsty and expensive, it only sold 800 units. Nevertheless, exports had become amazingly successful for Holden. A well-known line of exports included the Commodore, Monaro, Statesman and Caprice models. Commodores, rebadged as Chevrolet Luminas were sent to the Middle East, its largest export market, in 1998, with Statesmans sent the following year and rebadged as the Chevrolet Caprice. 2003 saw Holden’s iconic Monaro being sent overseas to the Middle East and then to the good old US of A, badged as the Pontiac GTO. GM UK, otherwise known as Vauxhall also sold the Monaro but kept it badged as the Monaro. The Commodore HSV version arrived in 2007, rebadged as the Vauxhall VXR8. In 2011 the WM Caprice was sent to the USA as the Chevrolet Caprice PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle), obviously for Police use only. Holden announced it would start exporting the VF Commodore in 2014 and 2015 to the States, rebadging it as the Chevrolet SS. The VF Series II Commodore is continuing Holden’s proud export history to America with vehicles continuing to be sent throughout this year. Ford also decided to get into the act by exporting to New Zealand, as well as PNG, Fiji and South Africa. The common denominator for these countries is that they are all right hand drive. Ford did play with the idea of expanding their export market to include left hand drive countries however this was consigned to the too hard basket in 2007 when the plug was pulled and the programme never got off the ground. Ford’s exports included Falcons to New Zealand, XA and XB Fairmonts to the UK, along with the LTD. A small number of LPG Falcons were also sent to Hong Kong for use as taxis, although it proved to be expensive to run and so never really became popular. With a few misses but mainly hits, the vehicle exports from both Ford and Holden have been tremendously successful, earning billions of dollars in the process. Remember, the ones mentioned here are just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re ever in South Korea and think you’ve just seen an LJ Torana, you’re not imagining things. That’s right, Holden even managed to send the beloved Torana there too!
Aboriginal Car Name Origins 20 February 2016 01:06 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareThere are some great car companies around the world with iconic names to match. The origins of these companies are well known to car enthusiasts, even though many have since been bought out or sold. The Brits have Rolls Royce and Bentley, the Germans have Porsche and Mercedes Benz and the Italians have Ferrari and Fiat, and so on and so forth. These brands evoke images of their country of origin, whether it’s a Silver Shadow majestically passing Big Ben, a Carrera 911 storming down an autobahn near Stuttgart or a Fiat 500 zipping around the Colosseum in search of that perfect espresso. Here in Australia, we have exactly the same scenario as our European cousins. Holden and Ford have established a proud national heritage too, however the names of some of our car models have a history originating from a culture that itself, has been around for over forty thousand years. And that of course is the Aboriginal culture belonging to the traditional owners of Australia. A shining example of this is the beloved Monaro, which is Aboriginal for ‘high plain’ or ‘high plateau’. In 1967, Holden was having trouble coming up with a name for its new coupe. But as luck would have it, Noel Bedford, Holden's Technical Designer was on holiday and as he drove through Cooma, he passed the ‘Monaro County Council’. “It said ‘Monaro County Council' in western-type lettering that reminded me of 'Marlboro Country' and Camaro. It seemed to me so simple and logical. Why didn't somebody think of it before? I was quite excited and couldn't wait to get back to work,” Noel explains. And the rest as they say is history. Another true Aussie automotive icon is the Holden Torana, which like the Monaro, has its name originating from Aboriginal culture. Meaning ‘to fly’, it also has alternate meanings in other cultures such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Unfortunately, not every car name with Aboriginal origins becomes an icon. So it was with the Camira. Billed as a “Supercar” in the early 1980s when released, it never really lived up to the hype. As a result, the Camira, meaning ‘wind’, never went on to achieve the status of the aforementioned legends above. A more recent example of continuing the indigenous theme is the Maloo. John Crennan, the ex HSV Managing Director came up with that one after reading a book on Aboriginal Australians. Released in 1990, the Maloo, meaning ‘storm’ or ‘thunder’, was released in 1990 as a performance ute. It went on to become famous in 2006 when the Z series Maloo R8 broke the world record for the fastest production performance Ute. Without doubt, these great Aussie auto icons, named after words from one the of oldest, if not the oldest surviving culture in the world, evoke images of our great Australian landscape, just like the European auto icons do in London, Stuttgart or Rome.
Cop Car Evolution 09 February 2016 09:50 Rare Spares General, Rare Spares (0) ShareHave you ever had that sinking feeling when you look in the rear view mirror to see those dreaded blue and red flashing lights? Whether it’s genuine shock and surprise accompanied by “I’m sorry officer but I have no idea why you have pulled me over,” or that we know we’ve done something wrong and thought we got away with it, those cars belonging to the boys in blue can strike fear into all of us. But it wasn’t always like this. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, horses and bikes were the only way for police to chase down law breakers. Then in 1915, the first patrol car was introduced and motorcycles the year after. Things got serious in 1925 when the NSW Police Commissioner returned from a field trip of the USA and Europe to drastically increase both cars and motorcycles in the Police Force. What he saw on his travels also led to Australia’s version of a Highway Patrol. Zoom forward and up until 1978, Police Cars weren’t that different from what you or I could buy from a dealer. Any mods that were required were an individual aftermarket arrangement. And the makes and models through the years were numerous and varied to say the least. From the Chrysler Royal V8s, Ford Zephyrs and FJ Holdens from the 1950s, the Ford Anglias and Morris Mini 1100s from the 1960s, to the Chrysler Valiants and Ford Interceptors of the 1970s. Then in 1978, Ford approached the NSW Police and offered to build a ‘Police Special’. In consultation with all the other Australian police forces, a long list of mods was agreed to and production began on the first purpose built Ford Falcon Police Car. GMH also entered the fray in 1981 with the Holden Commodore. The list of modifications for these purpose built vehicles was long but included such things as: upgraded suspension; a revamped electrical system so as not to cause interference to police radios; increased alternator output and a heavy duty battery with couplings to connect to and cope with police specialty items; a specially calibrated speedo to detect speeding offences; a long range fuel tank to allow driving distances of 450 kilometres and an additional automatic transmission oil cooler, just to name a few. Zoom forward once more and the current crop of modern day police cars look more like spaceships compared to days gone by. A shining example of this is what is recognised as Australia’s most advanced and powerful police car. With an earth shattering 800 horsepower or 600 kilowatts, the Ford Falcon GT-F that belongs to the NSW Police Force has 200 more horsepower than a V8 Supercar! Sure, this Dick Johnson tuned monster is a one off, but with that kind of horsepower on tap in addition to the fact it can tell if you’re speeding or unregistered even from a kilometre away, the chances of getting that sinking feeling, in NSW at least, have never been higher.
Rare Spares Legend – Tony O’Donnell 04 February 2016 01:10 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareTony O’Donnell is a well-respected automotive industry stalwart, serving the interests of the broader automotive community selflessly for over 20 years. Tony sought and succeeded in unifying the car community to bring about change in government regulations surrounding automotive regulations. The flow on effect of his work has been beneficial to enthusiasts across the country. Tony’s long term contribution was formally recognised at Summernats 29 in front of the Saturday evening crowd, being awarded the coveted Rare Spares Legend Award, receiving the now iconic golden helmet. The Rare Spars Legend Award has been bestowed only on the most deserving of contributors to the scene and Tony joins the who’s who of street machining in Australia and was very humbled to join this group. “I was blown away to be honest. When I look at the other guys who have received it, they are the names we have dropped in our conversations on some of the topics we have discussed over the years at club level and with the government. Being included in this company is mind blowing,” said O’Donnell. “I have to thank the group of people who have been involved in the Australian Confederation of Motor Clubs (ACMC) and for all their huge amounts of work over the years. Alan Hay and Duncan Gay have both been integral to the success we have had as well as many others who have contributed to the changes we have been able to implement. Thanks to Rare Spares and Summernats for the honour,” he added. The award was presented to Tony by Rare Spares General Manager David Rayner, who was proud to be adding Mr O’Donnell to the Hall of Fame. “We will be only awarding a total of ten Rare Spares Legends and with eight already chosen, the answer to who would become our ninth quickly became apparent and that was Tony O’Donnell,” said Rayner. “Tony has represented the classic, historic and street machine worlds for many years and his work behind the scenes has directly and indirectly touched thousands in our scene. We thought it was fitting that Tony receive some public recognition for his services to the industry over many years. Congratulations from Rare Spares on behalf of the entire community,” he added. Tony held an interest in cars and motorsport from as far back as he can remember. His father was a panel beater. “I grew up tinkering with cars with mates until my early twenties and I even still have a collection of various car magazines I was reading back in the 1960’s. I then forayed into racing, competing in Formula Ford, and it was here that I joined my first club to get my licence to compete,” said Tony. He also started working for Shannons Insurance and over his twenty year career with Shannons, was regularly exposed to the world of automotive clubs and car shows and built up a network of friends and acquaintances across the country. In Tony’s dealings with the clubs, it became apparent that not only were there challenges around vehicle regulations and existing vehicle ownership, but there seemed to be no unity or discussions amongst clubs to find common solutions. “Street machines, historic vehicles, 4WDs, motorcycles and hot rods all shared common problems and were affected by government regulations so we had the chance to pool a large number of people and clubs together,” explained Tony. “It became clear that if these individual clubs and groups could come together and form a larger representative body, the community would have much more clout in drawing the attention of the government. I fortunately had the contacts through my career at Shannons and worked on getting the groups talking to each other,” he added. The Australian Confederation of Motor Clubs was then formed and with the help of Alan Hay who was able to introduce Tony and the club to various politicians, initial steps were made in representing the concerns of the automotive community at government level. “More recently, we have been fortunate to have Mr Duncan Gay, the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, that has been another influential figure in moving our interests forward. Progress was not immediate but I am proud of the fact we have been able to setup the Vehicles Standards Working Group that discusses issues around regulations and topics such as exhaust noise, permits and engineering certificates and things of this nature.” “It was a combination of the ACMC’s work and the Minister that have brought about the working group that is providing a direct line with government. My proudest achievement is that we are not adversarial now with government departments. We have a solid relationship with the politicians and have a permanent place to discuss our interest via the Working Group,” said Tony. A conditional registration is now on its way for modified cars with more flexible regulations. This will be music to the ears of many in the community and is a perfect example of Tony’s work being realised to the benefit of the entire community.
We had a blast at Summernats 29! 23 January 2016 07:50 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareThe streets came alive with party vibes and Exhibition Park pumped to the sound of horsepower as the Street Machine Summernats, proudly supported by Rare Spares, returned to Canberra.Thursday’s annual Summernats City Cruise welcomed the ‘Nats to Canberra with an expanded number of cars parading in front of thousands of locals and automotive fans. “Thursday was fantastic, the City Cruise had around 250 cars rolling down Northbourne Avenue and crowds lined the streets, it was fun to watch,” said Summernats co-owner Andy Lopez.Despite being day one, the crowds were busting for some burnout action, with the Last Chance Shootout Wild Card Burnouts attracting a 12,000 strong audience for the tyre-frying action, with Aussie rockers You Am I providing Thursday night’s soundtrack.Friday saw the Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine, the Dyno Dynamics Horsepower Heroes Shootout plus the Liqui-Moly National Burnout Eliminations. The Top 60 show cars were on display in the Meguiar’s Pavilion as well as the Great Uncover, where never seen before marvels were unveiled for the first time.Later, DJ Brooke Evers entertained the crowd and she was followed by the new prince of Australian Hip Hop, Seth Sentry. Saturday had a packed schedule with the Liqui-Moly National Burnout Championships, Dyno Dynamics Horsepower Heroes Shootout and Federal Tyres Miss Summernats, which was won by Canberra local Amanda Beattie.The Rare Spares Legend award was presented to Tony O’Donnell by Rare Spares General Manager David Rayner. This prestigious award in the form of an exclusive gold helmet was created to recognise the lifetime contribution to the street machine world. Tony enters the Legend Hall of Fame alongside eight other past worthy winners. As the sun set, the party really got going with the Supercruise in the main arena, followed by a Fireworks spectacular set to a DJ Black Summer soundtrack. The fun continued with the iconic Hoodoo Gurus.Sunday was finals day with the awarding of the most coveted prize in street machining, the Street Machine Summernats Grand Champion, which went to John Saad in his stunning 1972 Mazda RX-3. The winner of the world’s most prestigious burnout competition, the Liqui-Moly National Burnout Masters went to Andrew Poole in his Holden Commodore after a tyre shredding extravaganza that had the crowds going wild.The Dyno Dynamics Horsepower Heroes Shootout overall winner was Jake Edwards in his yellow turbocharged Holden Torana that achieved an incredible 1782hp at the rear wheels.The surprise addition of Red Bull Racing Australia's six time V8 Supercars champion Jamie Whincup also thrilled the huge crowds with some fantastic burnout action.Entrant numbers came to a huge 1952, the largest yet for the event, with crowd numbers in excess of 100,000.“What a fantastic event. We’ve had beautiful weather, amazing cars and terrific crowds for what was another great Summernats event,” said Mr Lopez.As the proud supporter of Summernats 29, Rare Spares had a major presence with our own Rare Spares Exhibitors Pavilion. And it was at the Rare Spares stand that the crowd took advantage of some amazing offers including a massive 20% off everything plus free shipping.On top of that, customers had the opportunity to go into the draw to win the ultimate motorsport weekend, known as ‘Rare Experience!’ where tickets to the 2016 Clipsal 500 with flights and accommodation for two were up for grabs. Lucky winners Mark and Jane from New South Wales were thrilled to hear they had won this money can’t buy Rare Experience. Also at the Rare Spares Pavilion, fans were also able to check out none other than John Bowe’s race winning Touring Car Masters Holden Torana and RSP Director David Ryan’s famous FJ Holden.Summernats 29 has proved once more that it is the premier automotive event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and Rare Spares are once again proud to have supported such a great and iconic Australian event. And just like car enthusiasts right across the country, we can’t wait for Summernats 30!
Rare Spares Shepparton Open For Business 20 January 2016 12:03 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareRare Spares is proud to welcome its newest store to the Rare Spares network, Rare Spares Shepparton. Owned and managed by the locally based Wisely family, Stephanie, Jason and Geoff will be the faces of the new Rare Spares Shepparton and provide a much welcomed boost for classic car owners in Shepparton and surrounding regions. The Wisely family felt the opportunity to become a Rare Spares official distributor would be a perfect fit with their existing mechanical workshop, Wisely Automotive Services. Father and Son, Geoff and Jason have 50 years of combined experience working on vehicles of all makes and models, and their love affair with classic cars runs deep. “Geoff and Jason have just finished restoring two EH Holdens and also have some other classics out in the shed that are lined up for restoration, so their understanding of the classic parts world is strong,” said Stephanie Wisely. With an active car scene in Shepparton and surrounds, Stephanie was excited to learn word had already spread about the new store opening, a promising sign for the future. The new Rare Spares Shepparton distributorship features an impressive showroom displaying a range of Rare Spares parts at the front of the store and out the back the Wisely's workshop offers mechanical and car restoration services. “The beauty of having the Rare Spares store as well as a mechanical workshop is that we can be a ‘one stop’ shop for customers who are seeking to restore cars as well as install new parts, so it can be a double benefit. “As a Rare Spares Distributor, we will offer a wide range of parts to classic vehicle customers and if we don’t have a specific part, we will quickly and easily be able to order it in,” said Stephanie. To see the team at Rare Spares Shepparton, opening hours are Monday to Friday 7:30am – 5:00pm and Saturdays, 8:30am – 12:00pm. The store is located at 2 New Dookie Road, Shepparton, Vic, 3630 and can be phoned on (03) 5821 3598. To find out more about Rare Spares and for a full list of distributors, stockists and resellers across Australia, visit www.rarespares.net.au
ModRod LJ Torana 08 January 2016 08:29 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareWatershed: noun wa·ter·shed \ a time when an important change happens. Chris Varney’s watershed moment happened when he finished reading the April edition of Street Machine Magazine…back in 1997! This put him on a journey that would eventually take him 18 years to complete. The 1997 article which changed his life was an Expression Session concept by Jeff Haggarty, who would eventually go on to become Holden’s lead designer. And so began the life of Chris’s 1971 LJ Torana MOD ROD. To say the original car has been modified a bit would be an understatement. The polarizing custom job is extensive to say the least. It was finally unveiled at the 2015 Meguiar’s MotorEx in Sydney and although 18 years of blood, sweat and tears went into the build, Chris worked non-stop to make sure everything would be ready on time. “I’m busting my butt to get it done and madly trying to put it all together,” he said before last year’s exhibition. While the radical result was…..well…radical, there were a few things that weren’t negotiable. First, the very front and rear of the car had to be kept totally Torana. Second, it had to be street legal once the blower was removed from the 350 small-block Chevy. And third, Chris wanted to keep it all General Motors. “I could have put a nine-inch in it, but I ended up using a VN housing that was modified to use the Torana trailing arms. I kept it the stock width and it worked out perfectly for how I wanted the wheels to hang out,” said Chris. The pictures tell a thousand words about the mods to the HOK Brandywine body, but just as much work has gone into parts of the car you can’t see, like underneath for instance. “If someone looks under the car – although it will be tough to do because it sits so low – they won’t see anything except a couple of oil coolers,” explains Chris. “Everything has been run through the chassis rails or through the centre console to keep it really clean underneath. The sidepipes are functional but it will have a different set of extractors and a full exhaust for rego.” For the interior, Chris decided to keep the Torana theme for the dashboard, even though Jeff Haggarty’s original concept sketch was from an FJ. The original seats had to go though and were replaced with bucket seats all round. Originally Chris had hoped the Mod Rod would be ready for his daughter’s high school formal. That came and went. Then he hoped it would be ready for her wedding. But, perfection takes time so that came and went too. Taking his two granddaughters to school in the Mod Rod was the next target, and lucky for them, after 18 years, Chris finally completed his journey. Good things come to those who wait. If you have your own watershed moment which puts you on a path to restoring an old classic, Rare Spares is the place to go for all the parts you may need. With literally thousands of parts in stock, chances are if you need it, we’ll have it. Check us out at www.rarespares.net.au
Radial Tuned Suspension 25 December 2015 08:56 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareAsk an Australian car lover who invented RTS (Radial Tuned Suspension) and the answer will be Holden. However, ask an American car lover who invented it and they would likely say Pontiac. In truth, the facts are a little hazy. In America, Radial Tuned Suspension started in the mid-70s when radial tyres were becoming more of a standard feature on GM cars, and Pontiac tuned the spring rates and shock valving to better match the type of tyres going onto their new cars. In Australia, the first cars to get RTS were the Holden HZ Kingswood SL, Premier, Wagon and GTS. The HZ hit our roads on October 1977, so from that perspective, the victory goes to our friends on the other side of the Pacific. RTS, according to Holden was “an important new design which integrates all suspension components into one finely tuned system.” Assistant Chief Engineer Peter Hanenberger from GM Germany headed up the RTS program in Australia and explained RTS was designed to “reduce vehicle roll when cornering, improve straight ahead stability and improve vehicle handling and load carrying ability on all types of road surfaces.” Effectively it was designed to match all the suspension components because Holden was also moving from bias ply tyres to steel belted radial tyres. Changes included wider wheel rims, revised body mountings as well as the chassis. Front and rear stabiliser bars helped control lean, the four coil springs were deeper, front suspension control arms were redesigned and moved, control arm bushings were reengineered and new, larger diameter shock absorbers were carefully tuned to match the RTS system. All this was designed to create Holden’s claim of “exceptional road holding”. RTS was so important to Holden, it ran an advertising campaign. It showed a Kingswood SL against a BMW in an evasive manoeuvre display to demonstrate how well it compared against one of the best handling European sedans. A Holden Premier was then pitted against a Mercedes Benz on a bumpy and undulating road, which showed our home grown hero had just as good a ”smooth, flat ride” as its more prestigious and expensive competition. With the Europeans easily dispatched, the advertisement then turned to Holden’s domestic nemesis. (No prizes for guessing who that might be!) This involved a typical highway exit situation where the RTS equipped Kingswood easily out manoeuvred the competition around a tight bend in wet conditions, showing how predictable the Kingswood SL corners as compared with the other car. That other car, without RTS, was of course unable to follow the Holden at the same speed. So there you have it. RTS was designed as “a system, through a sophisticated program of engineering research, designed for Australian conditions, so as to enjoy confident, relaxed driving, mile after mile.” Of course, RTS may have been cutting edge at the time, but suspension systems have certainly moved on and will continue to evolve. It’s certainly interesting to see the progress that’s been made over the last four decades of automobile development, that’s for sure.
Rare Spares Rare Specials at Summernats 29 22 December 2015 12:03 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareHot off the press! Rare Spares is going to make your Summernats trip even better! For the 29th edition of this iconic event, Rare Spares is offering a HUGE 20% off* plus FREE Shipping for all orders placed and paid for at the Rare Spares stand during the entire event period! PLUS Rare Spares are giving you the opportunity to go in the draw to WIN the ultimate motorsport weekend, known as ‘Rare Experience!’** How does tickets to the 2016 Clipsal 500 with flights and accommodation for two and a weekend to remember sound? All you have to do is see the team at the Rare Spares stand in Pavilion C to enter! Rare Spares will also be showcasing none other than John Bowe’s race winning Touring Car Masters Holden Torana and RSP Director David Ryan’s famous FJ Holden all weekend. To take advantage of these great offers and help us in celebrating Summernats and the classic cars we love, join us at the Rare Spares stand for Summernats 29! The coveted Rare Spares Legend award will again be presented with a new industry legend being inducted to the Hall of Fame. Who will it be this year? Find out on Saturday night in the Main Arena. *excluding vouchers and items already on special and 20% off full RRP of Rubber Kits ** For full terms and conditions see the online entry form at the Rare Spares stand. Permit No: ACT TP 15/08101
The BJR Transporter 16 December 2015 08:07 Rare Spares Rare Spares (0) ShareBack in the 60s, if you went car racing, chances are you would fill your race car with everything you needed for the weekend. What you couldn’t fit would be strapped to the car somehow, before you hit the road and drove it and yourself to the race track to go racing. Oh how times have changed! This week, we’re going to see how a modern professional V8 Supercar Race Team, and to be more precise, the Brad Jones Racing Team, moves their expensive, powerful and precious cargo around this huge country of ours to compete in the fiercely competitive series. Team BOC’s "B-Double" transporter will typically travel about 50,000km per year. This amount of travel in this behemoth of a truck won’t get you much change from $100,000 in running costs alone. Up front and pulling the total load of about 58 tonnes is the Freightliner Argosy prime mover. At $375,000 new, the Argosy needs to deliver and fortunately, it does in spades. It gives drivers all the creature comforts needed for long days on the road. The 110 mid roof cab has the lot. From the Ezyrider II high back air suspension driver’s seat with lumbar support, 51” double bed sleeper compartment and air adjustable tilt and telescopic steering column, to dual air conditioning, cruise control and a chrome and leather steering wheel. All this luxury sits over a 15L, 560HP engine and 18 speed manual gear box. As impressive as the Freightliner Argosy prime mover may be, what it pulls is just as impressive. The two trailers are each split into two compartments. Trailer A is used for carrying the heavy equipment when on the move and transforms into the engineers briefing room and office when parked up for race meetings. Trailer B’s front section is used as the driver's area where they can store their helmets, driving suits and race gear. The mid-section is the workshop area and includes a lathe, vice and work benches and the two race cars travel nose to tail on ramps above the workshop area. The underbelly of the B trailer features 16 lockers loaded with spare gear boxes, diffs, jack stands, car set up equipment and consumables. The entire outfit, worth about $1.5 million each, (and BJR run two!) is packed to the rafters with enough parts to completely rebuild the cars, including spare engines, gear boxes, diffs and every other body part. At a race and you need a spark plug? Have no fear. Each transporter carries ten boxes of them! How about a wheel? Well, each transporter has 64 spare wheels and tyres, just in case. Need some tools to change a tyre? Will 15 fully equipped tool boxes, along with gas canisters, air jacks and panel beating equipment help? An impressive setup I think you would agree. Next time you’re watching your favourite driver spraying champagne in celebration on the podium, now at least you’ll have more of an idea of how they got there.